The transfer of Orlando City and USMNT forward Duncan McGuire to Blackburn Rovers failed due to an “administrative error”, the English club said in a statement on Wednesday.
McGuire would join the Championship club on loan until the summer, with an option to buy. The two clubs had initially agreed to a permanent $4 million deal in the final days of the January transfer window, but the transfer was canceled as McGuire was mid-flight from Orlando’s training camp in Mexico.
Blackburn and Orlando resume negotiations on a loan deal in the final hours of the window. “All necessary signed paperwork was completed by 10pm on Thursday, February 1, but due to an administrative error, the forms were not processed within the prescribed time,” Blackburn said in their statement.
Blackburn thought they had clicked ‘submit paperwork’ on the English Football League’s transfer system before the deadline, but clicked ‘save’. the Athletics.
Blackburn has lodged an appeal with the EFL. “Detailed discussions have taken place in recent days with legal representatives and the relevant football authorities to attempt to reach an urgent and positive resolution to the matter,” the club said. “The club’s lawyers have prepared the required paperwork and sent it to the EFL board, who will hear the matter on Thursday, February 8.”
McGuire will remain in Britain until Blackburn’s appeal is resolved. If the EFL does not approve the transaction, McGuire will return to Orlando City for the start of the MLS season, with a view to moving to Blackburn in the summer.
“Should the appeal be rejected, Blackburn Rovers will attempt to reach a pre-contractual agreement with Orlando City in the coming weeks to allow the player to officially become a permanent member of the club when the 2024 summer transfer window opens,” Blackburn said.
If the proposed loan fails, McGuire will be left in limbo. He was the breakout player of the 2023 MLS season, scoring 15 goals in all competitions in his debut professional campaign. He was drafted No. 6 overall in the 2022 MLS draft and has quickly become one of the most promising forwards in the league. He has represented the US at Under-23 level and made his senior USMNT debut in January.
McGuire is eligible for the upcoming U.S. Olympic roster and is expected to be a focal point of the squad. But if the Blackburn deal falls through and he has to wait until the summer to move, he could find himself in trouble for minutes with Orlando before Paris.
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Orlando has already been working on deals to replace McGuire, including reaching a permanent deal with Atalanta Colombian striker Luis Muriel.
With the addition of Muriel, McGuire could be loaned out to other MLS clubs until he can complete his move to England.